The 43 minute interview covers a lot of ground, including the latest incarnation of life patenting — the patenting of human genes. Did you know that many of the genes in your body are owned by corporations? Absurd, but true. This has worrying implications.

As well as all the depressing reasons why genetic tinkering is not a good thing, Smith concludes the interview with a message of hope — that you as a consumer have the power to topple the multi-billion dollar industry that’s threatening our health and our planet. Using the historical example of how consumer demands in Europe incentivised supermarkets to stop stocking GM products, Jeffrey Smith believes if only five percent of the U.S. population were to determine not to purchase GM products, supermarkets would be motivated to source GM-free stock for their shelves, and we would see a domino effect that could bring an end to this industry.

TheInstitute for Responsible Technology and Seeds of Deception websites have some great practical information on what you can do. Essentially, stop buying products containing GM ingredients. Although GM labelling is conspicuous by its absence in the U.S., there are ways to know what products are likely to contain GM ingredients and what are not. Head here to get ideas on how to avoid GM foods when shopping and eating out.

Around 70 percent of foods purchased in the U.S. contain GM ingredients — this is largely due to the prevalence of government subsidised high fructose corn syrup and soy by-products in almost everything. This makes it sound almost impossible to avoid GM foods, but it’s not so. Take ketchup for example — read the ingredients. If you see high fructose corn syrup and soy oil on the label, put it back, and look for one that uses olive oil instead. Keep in mind, if something isn’t done soon, the percentage of GM products in the food chain will only increase, and the global spread of GMO crops will continue. We need to take action now.

3 Responses to “Calling Five Percent of US Residents to Action on GMOs”

Jeff Smith’s book, Seeds of Deception, compiles 20 years of data on the health risks of genetically modified foods from scientists such as Arpad Pusztai and Trudy Netherwood who reported that feeding GMO food to laboratory animals resulted in thousands of sick, sterile and dead laboratory animals. The book also reports on allergic reactions and toxicity in humans from GMO foods.

While American consumers remain oblivious, GMO Foods have been introduced into the US food supply without safety testing or even labeling. Already 70% of our US food supply is GMO, affecting corn, soy, cotton seed oil and canola oil.

Cymon Fjell

Hello,

In the late ’70’s I found the funding for Darryl Sipos to work tirelessly to establish Self Reliance Seed Company (renamed Phoenix Seeds after litigation issues). This was a social enterprise set up within Tagari Community and the Permaculture institute Trust.It dealt only in heirloom seeds. I went on to collect and grow many species of exotic tropical fruit and nut trees in Australia’s north. Some of these species, all non GMO would raise bio-piracy concerns for social and cultural activists.

Some species introduced by fruit growers into North Queensland, such as Pond apple (Annona glabra) are major environmental weeds of north Queensland, affecting mainly wetland ecosystems
such as melaleuca and palm swamps, creeks, drains and coastal
foreshores. Could a GMO weed war species help with this? Lets get real. No amount of manual weeding or mulching will.

another thought. Having worked in the environmentally blighted Aral Sea in Uzbekistan perhaps a tailored GMO to bio remediate these very toxic conditions might repair broken lands.

Perhaps this is a case for everything working both ways. Perhaps we have to look further than both ways.

beauley

Maybe the people should ask Obama why he did not keep his promises to get him elected in 2008.
One of his Promises Not Kept was to label foods containing GMO.. Over 90% Of Americans were then and still are against GMOS.http://fooddemocracynow.org/blog/2011/oct/3/obama_promises_to_label_gmos/
The big question is: Why did Obama lie to the American people so grossly just to get elected?